The Iron Man (novel) facts for kids
Adamson cover of first edition
|
|
| Author | Ted Hughes |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | George Adamson (first) Andrew Davidson (1985) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Published | 1968 (Faber and Faber, UK) 1968 (Harper & Row, US) 1985 (Faber and Faber, int'l) 1999 (Knopf, 30th Anniv. Ed.) |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 59 pp. |
| Followed by | The Iron Woman |
The Iron Man is a science fiction novel written by the famous British poet Ted Hughes. It was first published in 1968 in the UK. Some people call it a modern fairy tale.
The story is about a huge "metal man" who suddenly appears in England. He causes a lot of damage by eating farm machines. But then, he becomes friends with a young boy. Together, they protect the world from a giant space dragon!
Ted Hughes later wrote a sequel called The Iron Woman in 1993. This second book talks about protecting the environment from pollution.
When the book was published in North America in 1968, its name was changed to The Iron Giant. This was to avoid confusion with the Marvel Comics character Iron Man. American versions of the book still use the name The Iron Giant today.
In 1985, a new edition of the book came out with new pictures by Andrew Davidson. Ted Hughes and Andrew Davidson won an award for this edition. This award celebrated books where the words and pictures worked perfectly together.
Many artists have drawn pictures for The Iron Man over the years. The story has also been turned into other things. Pete Townshend made a musical album based on it in 1989. Later, in 1999, a popular animated movie called The Iron Giant was made.
The Iron Man's Story
The story begins when the Iron Man arrives in England. No one knows where he came from. The book describes his giant metal body in great detail. To survive, he starts eating farm equipment like tractors and diggers.
The farmers are very upset when they find their machines destroyed. They decide to set a trap for the Iron Man. They dig a deep pit and cover it up. Then, they put a red lorry (a type of truck) on top as bait.
Movie and Other Versions
In 1999, Warner Bros. released an animated movie based on the book. It was called The Iron Giant. The movie was directed by Brad Bird. Pete Townshend, who made the musical album, also helped produce the film.
See also
In Spanish: El hombre de hierro (novela) para niños
